The olfactory system works in combination with the brain's reward and aversion systems in both learning and memory formation.
Small changes in a single olfactory receptor gene can affect how strong, or how pleasant, a person finds a particular odor.
Those with alexithymia, a psychological condition in which people have difficulty in the emotions they are experiencing, may also have an altered physiological response to olfactory stimulation, researchers report.
A new study reports that people can have remarkably different reactions to the same smell, depending on their cultural background.
According to a new study, each of us has a unique 'olfactory fingerprint' which can also help with early diagnosis of certain neurodegenerative diseases.
Researchers discover as much as 30% of the larger array of human olfactory receptors differ between individuals.
